


the trials and tribulations of trying (and failing) to get over your roommates

by archiebettyveronica



Series: trials and tribulations [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Archie and Ronnie are oblivious, Betty is Just Trying to Figure Things out, Chuck is a sweetheart, Developing Friendships, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Polyamory, Tags Are Hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2020-09-18 20:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20318695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archiebettyveronica/pseuds/archiebettyveronica
Summary: Wanting someone you can't have is always hard, but wanting two people you can't have because they're in love with each other is even harder. Betty has been in love with Archie and Veronica forever, but Kevin thinks she should move and maybe he's right.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> God, I suck at summaries but basically Betty's in love with and silently pining for both Archie and Veronica, and she's trying to get over them.
> 
> A few things before you start: Even though I have a plot mapped out this is slightly rushed, it's unbeta'd and almost everything about it is subject to change.
> 
> But as always, feedback is much appreciated.

There is a laundry list of places Betty would rather be than this club. The ice in her glass has melted, and there is a distinct odor permeating the air that she has a strong inkling is coming from the large group of loud, extremely drunk guys standing next to her.

She's only here because she promised Veronica that she'd go out with her and Archie after bailing on her the last two times she'd asked Betty to go out with them, citing that she had to study. The truth is she didn't really have to study, she just didn't feel like going out and spending time with a bunch of strangers, but she didn't have it in her to make up another excuse so here she is, leaning against a wall in a dark club with loud music thumping through the speakers. She's about to go and find her roommates when a guy walks over to her and blocks her path.

"Hey, beautiful," he says with all the confidence in the world. "My name's Adam, what's yours?"

The ego he's boasting is more suffocating than the odor coming from the guys next to her. She thinks that in a different, more sober setting, she might have been interested in him based on looks alone, but the way he just approached her has recoiling in disgust. She sets her glass down and eyes him with distaste.

"Not interested," she replies as she tries to move past him, but he blocks her path once again.

"Come on, baby," he says, and she can smell just how drunk he is.

"I said I'm not interested," she says louder and with more aggression, hoping that he would get the message.

"Oh c'mon. Just answer this one question." he says. "Does the carpet make the drapes?"

She doesn't know if she's ever felt so disgusted and angry in life. She feels her fist tightening, and she's about to punch Adam when she feels an arm drape over her shoulder. When she looks up, she sees a handsome stranger.

"The lady says she's not interested," he says in a threatening tone.

"And who are you?" He asks.

"Her boyfriend," he says matter-of-factly as if it's not a bald-faced lie, and she isn't some stranger. This does the trick, though, and Adam slowly starts to back away with mumbled apologies too quiet to be heard over the music.

When Adam is out of sight, he removes his arm, and she turns towards him, finally taking in his face. He has soft brown eyes, a kind smile and a sharp, angular jawline that could rival that of a model. He's without a doubt one of the most beautiful men she has ever seen.

"Are you okay?" He asks concern easing into his features.

"Yes," she replies with a smile. "Do you always pretend to be random strangers' boyfriends in the club, or am I special?"

"No, you'd be the first," he says with a smile of his own. "That guy looked like he wasn't gonna take no for an answer, and at the risk of sounding like a sexist asshole, I think he respects a 'no' from a guy more than he does a girl."

"I'd like to say you're wrong and guys are more evolved, but I'd be lying," she says with a sigh. "Thank you for saving me from that creep and a bruised hand."

"No problem."

She's about to walk away to find her roommates when she feels a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait," the handsome stranger says. "I didn't catch your name. Mine's Chuck."

"It's nice to officially meet you, Chuck," Betty says. "My name is Betty."

"Nice to meet you… officially." The smile on his face disappears, and he shakes his head. "Shit, I'm sorry. I just realized that I'm keeping you from leaving like a pushy asshole."

"It's okay," Betty says with a laugh as she waves it off. "I was just going to find my roommates so we could leave. See, we came out tonight as a group, but they wandered off together a while ago. I assume they're somewhere in here dancing or making out… or both."

"You live with a couple?"

"Yeah, they're my best friends, and we've done almost everything together, so we didn't see a reason to change that during college. I love them, but the point of going out with your friends is to be around your friends. If I'm being honest, though, I wasn't really in much of a dancing mood anyway."

"I came here with my roommates, too," he says. "And I'm pretty sure they both left without telling me. I was doing a lap to try and find them, then I was going to leave, but I saw that guy harassing, and here we are."

"So we both got the short end of the stick tonight, huh?" she says with a hint of amusement.

"I wish it was just tonight." Chuck laughs. "This happens every Friday night. The guys say, 'let's go out,' I agree, and they end up leaving with girls without telling me they're going. It's a cycle that I haven't learned not to repeat. Although one thing has changed, Moose got a girlfriend, and he always leaves early to go to her place."

"Wait," Betty exclaims. "Is his girlfriend's name, by any chance, Midge?"

"It is." He says a little weirded out. "How do you know that?"

"I figured that there couldn't be that many guys that go by Moose, and I've known Midge since freshman year."

"Small world."

"I guess so."

He looks like he's about to say something else when Veronica walks up behind him and says, "B, there you are. I've been looking all over for you."

"I was actually looking for you, too," Betty says.

"I'm going to take Archie home. I think that 'eating contest' he had with Jughead earlier is finally catching up with him," Veronica says, rolling her eyes at her friends' juvenile behavior. She turns and finally acknowledges Chuck standing there. "I was gonna ask if you were gonna come with, but I see you're occupied."

"No offense, V, but you kinda suck at taking care of sick people, even if it's just something small like a stomach ache," she says with a laugh as Veronica pouts, then nods in agreement. "I'll meet you guys out front."

"Thanks, B," Veronica pecks her on the cheek and heads in the direction that Betty assumes she left Archie. As Veronica's figure retreats, Betty turns her attention back to Chuck.

"That was one of my roommates, Veronica," she says, pointing in the direction that Veronica walked off in. "And, apparently, my other roommate is sick, so I have to go. Otherwise, there's no telling what disaster I'll go home to. It was really nice meeting you."

"It was nice meeting you too," Chuck says with a smile. "Maybe we'll see each other again with this being a small world and all."

"Maybe," she says, a small grin on her lips. She waves goodbye and turns to walk towards the exit.

She's not sure if they'll see each other again because she doesn't really go out much, but she hopes that maybe they'll bump into each other in a line for coffee or something. She thinks they could be friends, possibly more. If she's honest with herself, Kevin was right when he'd said she had to get back out there. She needs to put herself back in the dating scene because pining over Archie and Veronica forever isn't something she wants to do. She wishes she wasn't in love with them, but she can't help what she feels. She knows she's overthinking this whole situation. Her life isn't a rom-com where a guy she meets by chance becomes the love of her life.

She lets out a heavy sigh and makes her way towards Veronica, who's standing beside a very nauseous Archie who's dry heaving. When she reaches them, Veronica tells her she ordered a car, and they wait.

When they get home, Archie immediately heads for the bathroom in the hall, bumping into the dining room table in the process. If he hadn't been feeling so terrible, Betty would've laughed at the stream of curse words that fell from his lips. Instead, she slips her heels off and makes her way over to the kitchen to pour Archie a glass of water as Veronica helps him to make sure he doesn't puke out his guts. He'd thrown up before the car arrived and just nearly missed Veronica's feet, and from where Betty is standing in the kitchen, she hears a repeat of that, but this time Veronica isn't shrieking.

Betty is trying to remember if she still has the Pepto Bismol she'd gotten for her mom when she'd showed up unannounced and decided to go out for dinner. The night ended with Betty at a drugstore two blocks from her apartment, and her mother locked in the bathroom for three hours.

When she gets to the bathroom, she sees Ronnie doing her best not vomit as pats Archie's back in what she thinks is a comforting gesture. She looks up at Betty, and relief floods her face as she gets up and all but runs out of the bathroom. Betty silently laughs to herself as she makes her way into the bathroom, setting down the glass and opening the cabinet. She runs her eyes over the shelves until she spots the box of tablets on the last shelf.

"Arch," she says softly, kneeling next to him. He groans in response. "I got you a glass of water and something to settle your stomach."

He looks up at her, his hair is disheveled, and there are beads of sweat on his forehead, but he smiles softly at her. "Thanks, Betts. You're the best."

Her heart catches at the sincerity of his voice, and she wants to kick herself for her heart getting worked up over something that's merely platonic and that she's sure he's said to plenty of other people.

"You're welcome," she says quietly before clearing her throat. "I'm gonna go and see if V can grab you a change of clothes. Have a drink of water and take the medicine I left on the counter, and I'll be right back, okay?

She gives him a thumbs-up as she backs out of the small room and makes her way towards the end of the hall.

"V did you-"

"Get him something to change into? Yes." she finishes for Betty. "And you say I'm not good at taking care of the sick."

"Ronnie, you literally almost threw up hearing Archie dry heave," Betty says with a hint of amusement.

"To be fair, he almost threw up on me five minutes after that, and I barely reacted."

"You started shrieking."

"Just take the pajamas," Veronica says, ignoring what Betty said as she hands Betty the clothes.

When Betty gets back to the bathroom, Archie has his cheek rested on the toilet set, and the glass in his hand is hand is empty. He looks like he's falling asleep, and Betty is a weird mix of disgusted and fond. She pulls out her phone and snaps a picture of this moment to post in the long, embarrassing birthday message she writes for him every year.

"Hey, Archie," she says, gently shaking him. "Arch."

"Hi, Betty," he replies, his eyes still drooping.

"I brought you a change of clothes." She hands him the pajamas, and he takes them, getting up. He starts to undress before she can leave. She has seen him shirtless before, but it's still strange to see him strip down only two feet away from her. She turns around and walks out of the bathroom, resting her head on the wall outside of the bathroom just in case Archie would need her for any reason.

He's only in there for a few minutes before she feels him sling his arm over her shoulders and give her a side hug.

"Goodnight, Betty," he says, she can still hear a bit of discomfort in his voice, but he doesn't sound as bad as he had thirty minutes before.

"Night, Archie." She watches him walk down the hall and close the door before letting out a sigh and heading in the bathroom and washing her face and brushing her teeth. She heads back to her own room and undresses, pulling on a pair of pajamas and getting in bed.

She lays down in the darkness of her bedroom, staring at the ceiling for a while. She's spent the past few nights thinking about something Kevin had said about dating again, even if only to distract herself from the feelings she's been harboring for both her roommates since forever. She can't keep holding onto something that will never happen. She loves them, but they love each other, and that's the way it's always been and how it always will be.

She's decided that she needs to get over them, and if dating random people is the way to do it, then she will. There's a part of her hoping that she'll bump into Chuck again and he'll ask her out, but she knows that that isn't realistic.

Letting out a harsh breath, she finally closes her eyes and lets sleep take over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyways you can find me on tumblr (@archiebettyveronica) and say hi 👋


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dating scene isn’t the same as it used to be, and Betty is finding that out the hard way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if anyone remembers or cares about this fic anymore but I’m back! Look, I know it’s been a while, and I apologize for that, but I had major writer’s block and I could barely write more than a sentence without absolutely losing my mind. Then there was semester starting which took up a large chunk of my time, but now I think I have the flow of things and won’t take 7 months to update (again I’m sorry). Anyway I think this chapter is pretty good, I just wish it didn’t take me so long to write.
> 
> Also, Kevin is in this chapter! Kevin is one of my favorite characters and I so desperately wish he got better storyline in the show.
> 
> Also, if you read watcher in the hall, it does take place between this chapter and the next one. also kind of a spoiler, but it is mentioned (if you squint) at the begging of the next chapter.
> 
> Anyway, comments and kudos are much appreciated.

Turns out that getting back out in the dating game is harder than Betty anticipated. The dating world has gotten a lot more complicated since high school. Finding someone to go out with is infinitely harder when you're in a big city and spend most of your time with your head in the books. She can't just ask a boy to get a milkshake at Pop's after the football game Friday night. But she absolutely refuses to accept the advances of some drunk idiot at a party, which is how she finds herself swiping through dating apps.  
  
She feels like she's been sitting on her phone for hours in conversations that aren't going anywhere. She had at least six guys use crude pick-up lines on her, to which she promptly ended the conversation. There was one girl that she thought was beautiful, witty and funny until she dove headfirst into her obsession with serial killers. With almost no prospects, she set her phone down on her desk and let out a frustrated groan.  
  
She wishes that she could just ask her best friends for advice, but she knows that her sudden interest in dating will raise suspicion from Veronica. She doesn't feel like evading all of the questions she's sure would come, and she's afraid she might let her real motivation for dating slip. That's a whole can of worms she hopes she never has to open.  
  
Suddenly, she remembers she does have someone she can confide in about this. She picks up her phone and scrolls until she finds who she's looking for.  
  
B: Lunch?  
  
K: What's the occasion?  
  
B: Can't a girl just want to have lunch with one of her closest and dearest friends?  
  
K: She can but we almost never go out for lunch unless you're having some sort of crisis  
  
B: That's not true.  
  
K: Tell that to all the lunchtime therapy sessions we've had when you're having a varchie problem  
  
B: This has nothing to do with them… well sort of  
  
K: Aha! So you admit there's a crisis  
  
B: Shut up! Anyways, lunch?  
  
K: I'll see you in 20

"I think I'm going to start dating again," Betty says to Kevin as he takes a seat across from her.  
  
"Hello to you too, Elizabeth," Kevin says in an amused tone.  
  
"I just don't know how to do it," Betty continues, ignoring Kevin's greeting, "I downloaded a couple of dating apps and got nowhere."  
  
"Woah… rewind. Did you just say you're actively trying to date? I never thought you'd actually listen to me," Kevin says, a little shocked by her revelation. "I honestly thought you'd spend another five years secretly pining after Archie and Veronica while I watched in agony."  
  
"I haven't been pining," she says. "I've just been… secretly… in love with them and hoping the feeling is mutual without ever saying anything to them."   
  
"Yeah," Kevin pauses, "So pining."  
  
"Anyway," Betty says, "I'm going to start dating again, but I realized that I haven't really dated since high school, and Jug and I skipped the whole 'get to know you' portion of dating so I don't actually know how to date. If I can even get to the date part of dating because finding someone decent to date is like trying to find a needle in a haystack."   
  
"Well, first take a breath," Kevin says, trying to calm down his clearly anxious friend. "And I'm not going to pretend that I understand heterosexual dating rituals but-"  
  
"What makes you think I won't date a girl," Betty questions.  
  
"I kind of just assumed that you'd date guys because that's what you know, and you're not out," Kevin says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Plus, you've only ever kissed Veronica, and it wasn't even a real kiss. It was purely performative from what you told me."   
  
"It's not like I have to formally announce that I like girls, I only have to tell people if I want to," Betty says with a pointed look. "Anyway, I just wanted to get out there and find someone, or at least meet new people that I can potentially be in a relationship with. I don't know, I just want to get over them or at least try. And if I'm going to give it an honest try, I don't want to limit myself to just men or people strictly in the gender binary."  
  
"Someone's been reading the articles I've been emailing them on LGBT issues."   
  
"Why wouldn't I re- we're getting off track again. I need help with getting out there," she says, putting air quotes around getting out there. "I tried the dating app thing, and that was a bust. Now I think that maybe I should go out and meet people. Or maybe I should do both. There's just so much to consider, and it's all so overwhelming. I feel like an eighty-year-old woman. I'm starting to miss living in a small town where everyone knows everyone, and dating was just asking someone to a movie then having a milkshake at Pop's. It was all so simple."  
  
"Your naïvety is both adorable and amusing. But, I think you should try the dating apps again," Kevin says. "That way, you can look through your options from the comfort of your own home and swipe away the creepy people. There's the added bonus of not having to worry about being approached by a really creepy guy. I've had a few experiences like that."  
  
"Speaking of," Betty says. "You know how I told you I was going out with V and Archie a few nights ago."  
  
Kevin nods, unsure of where this story is going and what it has to do with what he's just said.  
  
"Well, at some point, Archie and Veronica wandered off, and I hung back with my drink. After not seeing them for the better part of an hour, I decided to try and find them and tell them I was just going to go home. And some drunk asshole came up to me and another guy came up and saved me from getting kicked out for assaulting that asshole. And the guy apparently knows your ex-boyfriend."  
  
"You have to be more specific, Betty," Kevin says. "Some of us have dated more than one person."  
  
"Moose." She says glowering at his amused expression. "He knows Moose. He says they're roommates."  
  
"Wait," Kevin says dramatically. "What did he look like?"  
  
"Tall, soft brown eyes, really nice jawline, broad shoulders."  
  
"You met Chuck," Kevin says, weirdly excited by the prospect of her meeting an ex's roommate. "He is so gorgeous and unfortunately not into men. Trust me, I tried. You should go out with him! That would save you the trouble of having to comb through a dating app!"  
  
"And how do you propose I do that? I have no way to contact him, and he might not be interested in some random girl he met in a club," Betty says as if that's the most obvious thing in the world. "Plus, why would a guy that looks like that date a girl like me?"  
  
"Betty, you're hot. You might not think so, but you're a total smoke show." Kevin says matter-of-factly. "And, besides, I'm still friends with Moose. I can get him to give Chuck your number and-"  
  
"And say what exactly? That girl you met in that club thinks you're hot and would like to go out sometime?" Betty says. "Thanks, but no thanks, Kev. I don't want to seem like a creep who tracked down a guy she talked to for five minutes."  
  
"Then why'd you tell me that story while you were asking me about dating?"  
  
"Because I just thought it was random that a guy that I met by chance knows someone that I know. I didn't want to be set up. He's very attractive, and he was super sweet, yes, but I would prefer not to seem like a stalker."  
  
"Okay, suit yourself." He says putting his hands up in surrender. "Dating app it is."

"So, what do you like to do for fun?" Betty asks her date.   
  
The date is already going south, and they've only gotten through appetizers. So far, she's spent the entire date complaining about her ex, barely giving Betty the opportunity to say anything besides hello.   
  
When they messaged each other on the app, she seemed very kind and personable, but now that they were face to face, she was almost a completely different person.   
  
"I like to paint," Emily, her date, answers. "My ex never thought my art was good, though. Always told me that I shouldn't quit my day job."  
  
God, here she goes again, Betty thinks, this was a mistake.  
  
"Would you excuse me for a second," Betty says, grabbing her phone discreetly as she pushes her chair back. "I have to use the bathroom."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Betty frantically scrolls through her contacts as she makes her way towards the bathroom. There's no way she can make it through the rest of this meal without absolutely losing her mind. She needs an excuse to leave.  
  
Come on. Pick up, she thinks.  
  
"Hello," Kevin says in a chipper voice. "How's the date going?"  
  
"Well, I'm hiding in the bathroom, calling you for an excuse to leave," she says. "So, how do you think it's going?"  
  
"That bad, Huh?" Kevin says, a hint of both amusement and sympathy.  
  
"She keeps bringing up her ex, and I don't think I can hear another story about how much he sucks," Betty says in exasperation. "Can you call me back in five minutes with a reason for me to leave."  
  
"Will do, Betts."  
  
"You're the best, Kev," Betty says.  
  
"I try," he says before hanging up.  
  
When she makes her way back to the table, Emily is playing with her utensils. Betty feels kind of bad for wanting to ditch her because she really is a nice girl, but there is only so much bitching about an ex on a first date that she can take. She pauses for a second and takes a deep breath before walking the rest of the way.  
  
"Hey," Betty says as she sits down. "So, where were we?"  
  
"We were talking about hobbies."  
  
"Oh, right," Betty says. "What do you like to paint?"  
  
"Landscapes mostly, but I've been trying to branch out and paint people."  
  
"Oh, really? That's cool. I've never been much of an artist. I was always more of an academic person."  
  
"My ex used to say the same thi…"  
  
Betty starts to tune her out. As soon as she tries to have any semblance of a normal conversation, Emily brings up her ex every time without fail. This date cannot get any worse.  
  
Her phone brings her out of her thoughts, and she has never been so grateful to hear her ringtone.  
  
"It's my friend," Betty says. "This will only take a second."  
  
Emily wordlessly gestures for her to take it.   
  
"Okay, dramatically say 'what' but not too dramatically because we don't want to tip her off," Kevin says when she picks up.  
  
"What?" Betty says, feigning shock.  
  
"Now, grab your purse and say 'I'm on my way' and after you hang up, tell her your friend was in an accident and you have to go."  
  
"I'm on my way," she says, grabbing her purse and hanging up. She turns back to Emily and puts on her best worried expression. "I have to go, my friend was in a horrible accident, and I have to meet the rest of our friends at the hospital. I'm so sorry."  
  
"Don't apologize. Go," Emily says with sympathy. "I'll take care of the check, just go."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Betty rushes to the exit with a renewed vigor in her step. She's never been more excited to leave a place in her life. If the rest of the dates she will potentially be going on are as dreadful as this one, she doesn't know how she'll do this whole dating thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have actually started the next chapter and without giving away any of the plot, I will say that Chuck, Archie and Veronica will be in it. I can’t say what they’ll be doing but they’ll be there.
> 
> But, as always, you can find me on tumblr (@archiebettyveronica) and say hi 👋 or come talk me about what you think should happen in the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! I started this right after I posted the last chapter back in February… it’s June… yikes. I feel like any interest in this fic disseminated months ago but I’m back anyway.
> 
> I was having so much trouble writing this chapter, not because I didn’t know what I wanted to write, but because I couldn’t find the words that accurately captured what I wanted to write. 
> 
> Anyway, as always, comments and kudos are much appreciated.

"Hey, B, I was thinking we watch Roma tonight. I know that Archie isn't really fond of movies with subtitles, but we can outvote him," Veronica says as she walks into Betty's clad in a pair of silk pajamas and glasses. She stops dead in her tracks when she notices that Betty isn't in pajamas, but a little forest green dress that makes her eyes look even greener than usual. Her hair is down and she fixing her make up. 

"What's the occasion?" Veronica asks, a bit of distracted by the way Betty looks in that dress.

"Uh... I have a date tonight," Betty says nervously. She hasn't really told Veronica and Archie about her rejoining the dating world. They've all been so busy with school, and she didn't think that she needed to make an official announcement. "Sorry, I forgot to mention it."

"A date?" Veronica asks, surprise taking over here face. There's a pang of something in her chest that she can't quite place. It only lasts a moment, so she doesn't dwell on it.

"Yeah, I've been going on dates for a while now. Most of them have but awful, but, uh, I matched with a guy, and we're going out for dinner tonight. He's nice." Betty says, awkwardly playing with the hem of her dress. She forgot that they'd planned a movie night last weekend before she'd said yes to this date. There's an awkward tension in the air that she doesn't understand. They stand in silence, just staring at each other for a few minutes. 

Veronica clears her throat, breaking the silence and walking towards Betty. She brings her hand up and adjusts Betty's hair. She doesn't look Betty in the eye.

"Have a good time," Veronica says quietly, finally looking her in the eye. Betty isn't sure if she means it. She's never seen her friend react this way. She'd expected a more excited reaction from her, usually lively friend. Maybe it's Betty's imagination and a bit of wishful thinking, but she almost seems heartbroken. 

"Okay," is all she says before Veronica leaves the room, frozen in place, staring at Veronica's retreating back.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Maybe Betty should've just taken up a hobby because it would've taken just as much of her time, but the outcome probably would've been more satisfying. It's been two and a half months of bad dates. If it's not girls ranting about their exes, it's self-centered guys who won't let her get a word in. She thought in a city with millions of people that she would've met at least one nice, normal person, but that's proving to be impossible. 

She's at a bar a couple blocks away from her apartment, getting ready to drown her woes in a couple of glasses of something strong enough to wash away the memories of the past two months. She's not usually one to drink alone, but her date stood her up, and this is her method of coping.

She's halfway down her second glass when she hears someone calling her name from across the bar. She doesn't recognize the voice, but when she turns towards the voice, she recognizes the face.

"Hey stranger," Chuck says as he approaches with a beer in hand. "The roommates around tonight?"

"No, just me," Betty says with a sigh. "Are you here with your roommates?"

"I'm here with Moose and Midge," Chuck says as he sits down on the empty chair beside her, "so I'm basically on my own."

A comfortable silence falls over them for a moment as Betty continues to sip on her drink. She's not sure what she should say to him because he hasn't gotten up yet. Maybe he wants to talk to her. Maybe she's overthinking things.

"I can't help but notice you're one-woman pity party. Rough week," Chuck asks.

"More like two months."

"Two months?"

"Yeah. I started dating again and," she pauses for a moment. "Wait… should I be telling all my problems to a stranger?"

"I'm not a stranger, though," Chuck says with a smile, "I'm your pretend boyfriend, remember?"

"That you are," Betty says with a smile of her own, taking a sip from her glass.

"So dating woes, huh?" Chuck says, taking a sip of his beer.

"I underestimated how difficult it would be to find someone to date. In the town where I grew up, dating was taking someone to a double feature at the Bijou and reaching for their hand in the dark theater and hoping they didn't reject you. It was so simple," Betty says, sighing. "I was supposed to be out on a date right now, but he never showed. I got stood up by a guy whose bedroom is covered in legos."

"He plays with legos?" Chucks says with an amused smile.

"He's, and I quote, a 'lego collector and enthusiast,'" Betty says, miming air quotes. 

"You were gonna go out with a 'lego enthusiast,' I honestly didn't peg you for a girl who's into nerds."

"Oh," she says, amused and intrigued. "What did you peg me for then?"

"I don't know," he pauses for a second, studying her in contemplation. "You seem like you'd date someone who likes books. Or, maybe, a boy-next-door type seeing as how you described what I can only imagine is the most wholesome, small-town America date ever."

"Funny you should say that. My last boyfriend was a writer and book lover in general," Betty says, completely ignoring his boy-next-door comment. "He was penning the next great American Novel while we were in high school. He gave up on it when we started college, though, It's a shame, honestly, because it was really good."

"We have something in common. My ex is a writer too. She was the editor of our high school newspaper," Chuck says, sadness edging into his tone.

Betty is not sure what to do with his shift in mood. She doesn't want to pry because she hardly knows him, but she is also divulging her dating life to him, so there's not much of a line to cross.

The silence that falls over them is a comfortable one. They listen to the bustle of other patrons as they sip on their drinks. He clears his throat, and she looks over at him, the forlorn look no longer painting his features. 

"I have a confession to make," Chuck says, looking down at the bar, and when he looks back over at her, there is a smile on his lips. "I, uh, asked about you. I asked Moose about you since you said you knew each other."

"Oh yeah," Betty says with a hint of amusement, quirking an eyebrow. "What did you learn?"

"Well," he pauses for a moment, letting out a nervous chuckle, "I learned that your really good friends Kevin. You have been since you were kids. Uh, you have a sister. You're a writer. And... uh... this last one was kinda shocking. I'm not sure if I even believe it."

"I don't think Betty and shocking has ever been used in the same sentence by anyone I know."

"I'd say dating a gang member is pretty shocking."

"I guess that me also being in that gang is shocking," Betty says all in one breath, downing what's left of her drink, and gesturing for the bartender for a refill. He's looking at her with a look she can't really place. It's somewhere between shock and awe. "I'll admit that I was a little bit of a wild card in high school, though I never looked like it, but I wanted to be a part of my boyfriend-at-the-time's life, and that was the best way to do it. Or so I thought."

"Well, I have heard that every girl likes bad boys," Chuck said. "I just never really believed it."

"He was hardly what you'd call a bad boy," Betty pauses, silently thanking the bartender as he places her drink in front of her. "He was a loner who loved to write, and he just happened to be born into gang life. Though, I will admit the tattoos and leather jacket did have a certain appeal."

"Wait," Chuck pauses, a playful glint in his eyes. "Does that mean that you have tattoos and a leather jacket?"

"Yes. I have a tattoo, singular, and a leather jacket that has been collecting dust in the back of my closet." Betty says, taking a sip of her drink.

"Can I see the tattoo?" He asks, curiosity overtaking his features.

"It's not in the kind of place that I can show you," she says, her cheeks heating up. She wants to blame the alcohol and her slight buzz, but she knows that it's neither of those things. "Only two people have seen it. The person that tattooed me and the aforementioned boyfriend."

"Didn't want to flaunt your membership?" 

"Not so much that, I just didn't want my mother to kill me. She'd already lost it when she found the leather jacket in the back of my closet. I didn't want to add fuel to the fire." Betty says, amusement painting her features at the memory of her mother finding the jacket. "Anyways, enough about me and my past, since you know so much about me, it's only fair that I learn something about you, not relationship related."

"I'm an artist, I have one younger sister, and I used to play football in high school. It was never really my thing, though. It was my dad's thing, and I wanted to spend time with him." Chuck says, a hint of fondness in his voice. "Oh, and I met Moose freshman year, and we became roommates with Jason last year."

"I forget that Jason lives in the city now, too."

"You know Jason too," Chuck says, surprise evident in his expression.

"Yeah, we're cousins," she says. "We're not close or anything. We're basically glorified acquaintances that see each other at family social gatherings, but that's irrelevant. Tell me more about your art?"

"I want to draw comics... or kid's books. Comics were something I got lost in as a kid. Some of my best memories as a kid were going to the comic shop and getting the latest issue," His voice becomes serious, and his eyes go soft near the edges. Betty sees why Kevin tried to set her up with him. He's charming, genuine, and painfully hot. She sincerely regrets not letting Kevin give her his number, she could've been going on dates with him for the past 2 months instead of suffering through too many awful dates to count. "That's the dream anyway, but for now, I'm studying accounting and doing a little bit of freelance work on the side."

"I would love to see some of your work sometime," her voice is soft when the words leave her mouth. 

"I'd love to show you," he says earnestly. He clears his throat and takes a sip of his beer. "So, do you have any artistic outlets, besides writing, of course?"

"I like to bake, if that counts," Betty says. "I've never really been able to do elaborate decorations, but I do try. Taste is more important than presentation, though, right?"

She can feel the alcohol catching up to her because her words are starting to blend together, and she feels lighter. She made no plans to go drinking, so she hadn't eaten much before, and that choice is about to bite her in the ass if she doesn't leave soon.

"I think it's time for me to get going," Betty says, "I've been drinking on an empty stomach, and it's starting to catch up with me."

"Well, I'll walk you home," Chuck says with a smile. "Or, maybe, we can grab something to eat? To soak up some of the alcohol?"

"I'd like that," Betty says, a smile on her face.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Archie walks into the apartment, dropping his gym bag by the door and toeing off his sneakers off. He walks further into the apartment to Veronica, sitting on the couch, watching a movie with a glass of wine in hand.

"Sorry, I'm late," Archie says, "Where's Betty? I thought we were having a movie night."

"We were," Veronica sighs, "but Betty's on a date."

"A date?" 

"Apparently, she neglected to mention it," Veronica says, an edge in her voice. Archie isn't sure what to make of it because she doesn't seem angry, but she also isn't happy.

"We've all been busy," Archie pauses for a moment. "It probably just slipped her mind."

"Yeah," Veronica says, her voice shifting to something more normal. "But she's apparently been going on dates for a while. I'm- we're her best friends, why didn't she tell us?"

Archie doesn't say anything else. He has no answer for her. He gives her a quick kiss before telling her he'll be back. He returns fifteen minutes later with damp hair and a freshly popped bowl of popcorn in hand. 

"So what are we watching," he asks.

"Roma."

"What's it about again?"

Just as Veronica is about to respond, they hear the lock click and hear Betty giggling. They're both looking at her when she walks into the living room. There's a smile on her face, and her cheeks are flushed.

"The date went well, then?" Archie asks, the corner of his lip quirking up into an amused grin.

"Actually, no," Betty says, a smile still painting her features. "I got stood up."

"Then why are you smiling like that," Archie asks, confusion evident on his face.

"Because I met someone better. Well, I ran into some better," she clarifies. "I ran into that guy I met at the club a few months ago at the bar when I was wallowing. We talked for a bit, and we got something to eat, then he walked me home. It was the first normal night out that I've had with someone in a while."

"You gonna see him again," Veronica asks.

"Yeah," Betty says. "I think I will."

The strange feeling in Veronica's chest from earlier returns. She's not sure what it is, but she knows that whatever it is, Betty can't figure it out before she does. So she puts on her best smile and tries to be happy for her best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you can find me on tumblr (@archiebettyveronica) and say hi 👋

**Author's Note:**

> School is starting back up soon so I'm not sure when the second chapter will be up but I've already started it.
> 
> anyways you can find me on tumblr (@archiebettyveronica) and say hi 👋


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